GREEN: Hendrick Buys First Chevy Volt

NASCAR team owner wins online auction to buy groundbreaking electric car for $225,000, with all proceeds benefitting Detroit Public Schools.

Bob Golfen | Posted December 16, 2010 Detroit, MI

Rick Hendrick will get the first first Chevy Volt offered for public sale after winning an online auction that benefits Detroit education initiatives. (Photo: Chevrolet)

Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and chairman of Hendrick Automotive Group, stepped up once again to buy the first production Chevrolet Volt for sale that was offered in an online auction for $225,000, with all proceeds benefitting the Detroit Public Schools Foundation.

Last year, Hendrick purchased the rights to the first 2010 Chevrolet Camaro off the assembly line at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction for $350,000, which all went to the American Heart Association.

The first Volt, with vehicle identification number BU10002, was put up for auction by Chevrolet, with the bidding ending Dec. 14.

“This was an opportunity to own a piece of history while giving back to the community,” said Hendrick, an avid car collector. “I have been a Chevrolet dealer for more than 30 years, and the Volt is one of the most exciting and important new cars since we opened our first dealership in 1976.”

Students and faculty at the Detroit International Academy celebrate after learning their school will receive $10,000 of the $225,000 raised in the auction sale. (Photo: Chevrolet)

The money Hendrick is donating will benefit science, math, engineering and technology education initiatives in Detroit Public Schools, which he said is a vital area for the future of the U.S. auto industry.

“Hendrick Motorsports has been racing Chevys since 1984, and any success we’ve had is due to the quality of our people,” said Hendrick, who has won a record 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car-owner championships. “The Detroit Public Schools will prepare the next generation of talented engineers and technicians who will help Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports compete at a high level on the racetrack every weekend.”

Detroit Public Schools Foundation president and CEO, Chacona W. Johnson, said the $225,000 donation will make a meaningful difference for many Detroit students.

“With Mr. Hendrick’s contribution, we have the opportunity to inspire thousands of children to learn about science, technology, engineering and math,” Johnson said. “That inspiration will help make Detroit Public Schools students more successful in higher education, and better prepared for careers in the 21st century workforce.”

The Chevrolet Volt is an extended-range electric vehicle that can operate under a variety of weather climates and driving conditions with little concern of being stranded by a depleted battery. The Volt has a total driving range of up to 379 miles, based on EPA estimates.

For the first 35 miles, the Volt can drive gas- and tailpipe-emissions-free using a full charge of electricity stored in its 16-kWh lithium-ion battery. When the Volt’s battery runs low, a gas-powered engine/generator operates to extend the driving range another 344 miles on a full tank.

Chevrolet began shipping Volts from Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly this week. Hendrick will take delivery of his Volt later this month.

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Bob Golfen

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